More Single Moms Have Never Married

Forty-four percent of single mothers have never been married. This is 11 times the percent of never-married single mothers in 1960.

The Pew Research Center reports:

In 1960, of all single mothers, more than eight-in-ten (82%) were divorced, separated or widowed. An additional 14% were married, but their spouses were not living in the household. Only 4% of all single mothers had never been married.

Fortunately, policymakers can take steps to encourage and support healthy marriage. For example, simply explaining the importance of marriage for adult and child well-being would be a good first step in helping to prevent unwed childbearing. Single mothers and fathers desire to be good parents, and marriage is crucial to help their children thrive. Similarly, providing marriage education in high schools where high proportions of youth are at-risk for unwed childbearing and providing marriage education to low-income individuals and cohabiting couples—a large portion of single mothers are actually cohabiting with the child’s father at the time of the birth—could help these individuals achieve their dreams of a healthy marriage.